Delays in seeking abortion and its determinants among reproductive-age women based on the Ethiopian Demographic and health survey

Introduction: Delaying in seeking abortion services causes adverse public health outcomes, which increases maternal mortality rates due to complications from abortion. However, evidence shows that there are limited factors associated with delayed abortion. Therefore, the study aims to determine the magnitude and identify factors associated with delayed seeking abortion among reproductive-aged women in Ethiopia.

Methods: Secondary cross-sectional data analysis was conducted on the Ethiopian Demographical and Health Survey dataset. A total weighted sample of 2198 reproductive-aged women was considered in this study. All data processing and statistical analyses were performed using R-software version 4.2.3. Multilevel binary logistic regression analysis was used to identify a significant predictor for delays in seeking abortion. An adjusted odds ratio with a 95 % confidence interval was used to measure a statistical association.

Result: The prevalence of delays in seeking abortion among women in Ethiopia was 32 %. Educational status (AOR = 0.63; 95 % CI: 0.37-0.78), marital status (AOR = 2.12; 95 % CI: 1.38-3.74), wealth index (AOR = 0.54; 95 % CI: 0.41-0.75), frequency of listening a radio (AOR = 0.61; 95 % CI: 0.45-0.75), live births (AOR = 0.43; 95 % CI: 0.25-0.72), pregnancy wanted status (AOR = 0.59; 95 % CI: 0.4-0.79), contraceptive use (AOR = 0.46; 95 % CI: 0.34-0.69), and place of residence (AOR = 2.31; 95 % CI: 1.67-3.19) were statistically significantly variables associated with delays in seeking abortion.

Conclusions: Delayed seeking abortion remains high in Ethiopia. The study is vital for policymakers, healthcare providers, and advocates to improve training on the importance of early abortion care, develop targeted interventions for better accessibility to abortion services, expand health education programs to raise awareness about reproductive rights and empower women with information for informed reproductive health decisions. Health education programs, specifically targeting uneducated women, poorer women, rural resident women, and women who do not use contraceptives, would decrease delays in accessing abortion services.